'Grey's Anatomy' Won't Be Back 'Til January

This time of year always creates feelings of conflict for me. I love peppermint mochas, Black Friday sales, and Christmas music, but I really hate what the holiday season does to my favorite TV shows. Most of them take an extended hiatus, and that's exactly what Grey's Anatomy is about to do. After tonight's episode, there are a lot of Thursdays between me and my favorite doctors, and it's going to suck. On the upside? I'll have a bit more free time to go to bed early or (way more likely) get super absorbed in re-watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. But the downside is pretty big: Grey's Anatomy doesn't return from its winter hiatus until Thursday, January 29, 2015.

By the time we see Meredith and Derek again, we will all be different people. By January 29, most New Year's resolutions will be totally abandoned, and all the awesome stuff you got for Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Chrismukkah, if you're Seth Cohen) will be old news. A month is a long time, and if you're having trouble coping with that kind of break from Grey's, you're not alone. I understand you.

In fact, before tonight's mid-season finale airs, I'd like to take the opportunity to prepare you for what you may go through over the next two months. I call it The Five Stages of Grey's Anatomy Hiatus Grief.

Stage One: Denial

This takes place when you turn the TV on next Thursday and realize that Grey's isn't new. How are you supposed to deal with your family after Thanksgiving dinner without the crew at Grey Sloan Memorial to help you through it? My advice to you is to get over this stage Meredith and Cristina Style, which means you're going to need tequila, and lots of it.

Stage Two: Anger

You'll know this stage when you get to be really pissed with Shonda Rhimes for whatever miserable cliffhangers she's inevitably planning to leave us with. This may result in you sending a few tweets you will live to regret, but don't worry — there's always a delete button. Click the trash can, and pretend it never happened.

Stage Three: Bargaining

This stage also involves Twitter. Instead of sending chains of expletives to Shonda Rhimes, you will begin begging her (and probably the cast) for spoilers and info. I'd tell you to skip this stage, since your efforts most likely won't work, but it's something we all need to go through. However, if you find yourself writing Grey's Anatomy/Frozen crossover fanfiction, you need to take a step back.

Stage Four: Depression

There may be tears. In my opinion, you should just let them flow. There's no sense in stifling your sadness. Watch the episode where Denny dies — the saddest episode in existence — and open up those floodgates.

Stage Five: Acceptance

This won't come until about a week before the show returns, right around the time promos and spoilers start spilling out into the internet. Take heart — you'll probably be so busy between then and now that the time will fly by, and if not? The spiked eggnog is plentiful this time of year.

Images: ABC, Giphy (5)